Railway-car-transferring apparatus



R 5 2 9 5 2 a u A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 6: F Joe/(man.

M ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,754

G. F. SOCKMAN RAILWAY CAR TRANSFERHING APPARATUS Filed March 5,- 1925 3Sheets-Sheet 2 55 I w/ V w w 6% 1:

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INVENTOR 61 i? Joe/imam ATTORNEY WAYS,

Aug. 25, 1925.

G. F. SCCKMAN RAILWAY CAR TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1925 3Sheets-Sheet 5 ,6 N'raw? n canreyer INVENTOR 6T 71". 'oa/i'mafi.

BY M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. SOGKMAN, 0F WOODLAWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BAILWAY-CAR-TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 5, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. SOCKMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at 'Woodlawn, in the county of Beaver and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Car-TransferringApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention generally relates to railroading and has for its object toprovide a new and improved apparatus for laterally transferringrai1waycars in a simple and effective manner rendering possible themaking up of trains in a small fraction of the time at present consumedin that oper ation and the elimination of the necessity of numerousemployees and the risk of life and personal injury damages incident topresent methods necessitating wholesale employment and risk of life.

In the present backing and switching systems of making up trains muchwaste of time, labor and yard space is occasioned, also much loss oflife, and it is to remedy these inefficiencies that my invention isdesigned. I

Therefore, in its more detailed nature, my invention seeks to provide asimple and effective car transferring apparatus consisting of an endlessplatform conveyor of car carrying units movable laterally across thetrackways of the yard for the purpose of quickly transferring a car orcars moved thereupon from a certain track or tracks of the yard to acertain other selected track or tracks of said yard, means being alsoprovided whereby the car transferring action may be convenientlyobserved and controlled by a single operator from a more or lessremotely positioned observation and control room.

The invention also comprehends the provision of means for imparting abrake or cushioning action to the cars as they are moved upon theconveyor and for imparting impetus to said cars when they have beenmoved to the selected track or tracks to effect their removal from theconveyor platform and movement to their respective train sections.

The invention still further has for its object to provide means forcontrolling the speed of movement of the cars as they are forced off theconveyor platforms in a man- Serial No. 13,287.

n er effectively preventing damage by collision.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the invention still further resides in those novel details ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will befirst fully described, then be-particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical longitudinal section of oneend of the platform conveyor, a pair of cars being shown carriedthereby.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a conveyor platform unit.

Figure 4 is a cross section thereof taken on the line 44; on Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of a section of one of the carmovement controlling and throw-off chains.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of the brake actuator connections.

Figure 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic lon gitudinal section illustratingthe manner of brake actuation.

Figure 8 is a detail view of one of the hand thrown safety stop dogs.

Figure 9 is a somewhat diagrammatic detail section illustrating themeans for controlling the speed of the cars after they have been thrownoff the conveyor platforms onto the selected track.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a means of signalling tothe operator when the tracks of the conveyor or platforms and those ofthe yard are in register.

In the disclosure of my invention I have here made the numerals: 1 to 10inclusive indicate the trackways of a railroad yard,

the manner indicated in the said Figure 1 and in Figure 2 of thedrawings.

In the pit 11 is mounted an endless conveyor equipped with tracks andadapted for receiving cars of trains being broken up and fortransferring such cars to other selected ones of the trackways 1-1O togreatly facilitate the making up of trains on such selected trackways.The cross conveyor is built up of platform units 13 each having a tracksection 14 adapted to be brought into register with such of thetrackways 110 of the yard as may be determined, and link units 15 whichare adapted to join all of the platform units 13 to form the conveyorinto an endless chain in the manner indicated in Figure 2 of thedrawings. The platform units 13 are each provided with a bearing wheel16 at each corner thereof adapted to roll upon upper and lowersupporting tracks 17 suitably supported upon the studding 18 projectedfrom the side walls of the pit 11. The conveyor is thus supportedthroughout the straightaway upper cross travel and lower return travel,and at each end the said conveyor passes over a set of star wheels 19mounted on the cross shaft 20 which have suitable bearing as at 21 inthe pit 11. One set of star wheels may be in the nature of idlers andthe other set thereof may be power driven in any suitable manner. Forthe purpose of illustration I have shown a worm and worm wheel drive 22,the drive shaft 23 of which may be suitably clutch-equipped, as at 24,to a main drive shaft section 25 so that the move ment of the crossconveyor may be continued or discontinued at will for the purpose ofproperly bringing the track sections 14 into register with those 110 ofthe yard. I have diagrammatically indicated a control lever 80 mountedin the tower 51 and which may be utilized, with the aid of suitableconnections 81, to effect operation of the clutch 24 for the purposesspecified.

In the illustration shown in Figure 2, a. pair of railway cars isgenerally indicated at 26 and the axles of the cars at 27.

As will be observed by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings eachplatform unit 13 is provided with cutout port-ions 28, the purpose forwhich will later appear, a central cross shaft 29 and an end shaftsection 30 adjacent each end thereof. The shaft 29 and shaft sections 30are provided with suitable hearings in the platform body at pointsapproximately midway the depth of the platforms.

The central shaft 29 is equipped with a. pair of approximately centrallydisposed chain receiving sprockets 31 which are keyed to that shaft torotate therewith and each shaft section 30 has a single chain receivingsprocket 32, each thereof being adaptable to cooperate with one of thesprockets 31 of the central shaft in receiving a car movement controland throwolf chain 33. Each such chain is provided with a plurality ofcar engaging fingers or hooks 34 adapted to engage a portion of the carwhen moved upon or when it is to be removed from the platform for thepurpose of retarding such onward movement or for causing movement ineffecting such removal in a manner later to be described. It will beobvious from the foregoing that the cutout portions 28 are provided topermit the necessary positioning and movements of the shaft sections andtheir equipments.

As will be observed by reference to Figure 5 of the drawings, each ofthe hooks or fingers 34 with which the chains 33 are equipped are rulejoint hinged to the said chains, as at 35, so that the said devices willprovide a fixed abutment when. en gaged in one direction. but will bepermitted tocollapse when engaged in an opposite direction, for apurpose later to be described. Suitable spring devices 36 are providedand serve to hold the finger or hook devices 34 to their normal extendedpositions.

Each central shaft 29 of the platform units 13 is also equipped with adirect drive gear 37 and a reverse direction gear 38, both of which arekeyed to the said shaft to cause the same to rotate when they are rotated and, for cooperating with the reverse direction gear 38, areversing idler 39 is provided and is mounted upon a suitable stud shaft40 having suitable bearing carried by the platform 13 so as to alwayshold the said idler 39 in mesh with the reverse direction gear 38 in amanner for projecting its lowermost point on the same horizontal planewith that of the brake drive gear 37 for a purpose soon to be described.

A common actuator shaft 41 is mounted in the pit centrally thereof belowand adjacent the upper line of cross travel of the conveyor and whichsaid shaft is mounted in suitable bearings 42 which may be secured tothe side walls of the pit 11.

The common actuator shaft 41 extends across the pit 11 approximately thewhole of its length or a distance sufficient to take in all of thetrackways 110 with which the yard is equipped and at the position ofeach such trackway the said shaft is provided with a pair of largeloosely mounted gears 43, which such gears, because of the mounting asstated, are normally idle, while the shaft 41 is kept in continuousrotation in a manner later described.

Each gear 43 is provided at its outside face with a clutch head 44 and aclutch device 45 is splined to the shaft 41 in position for being slidinwardly to oppose the particular cooperative face for the purpose ofcausing that particular gear to rotate with the shaft 41 and each pairof clutch devices has connected therewith a ring shifter 46, both saidring shifters being connected together as at 47 to move in unison sothat when one of the clutch devices is moved into engagement with itscooperating clutch head 44 the other of such clutch devices will bemoved away from its cooperative clutch head 44, and the parts are sopositioned that when the conne3tion 47 is shifted centrally both suchclutch heads will be in neutral or out of engagement with the gears 43.In this manner the control devices may be shifted toa neutral positionin which none of the clutch devices will coengage and the gears 43 willbe in their normal or idle condition, in one direction to cause one ofthe clutches to engage the proper gear 43 tocause the same to rotate andeffect a reverse directing chain movement through the gear connections39 and 38, or in the opposite direction to cause rotation of the othergear 43 to effect a direct chain movement through the gear connection37.

All of the connector devices 47 may be joined, by the actuator rods 48and bell crank levers 49 with suitable control levers 50 in theconveniently positioned observation and control room tower 51 which, inthe disclosure here made, is shown as supported as at 52 to straddle theyard across the pit 11. I have shown these mechanical means of shiftingthe clutch devices merely as one means of operating the same, it beingunderstood that any other shifting devices may be employed that arefound practical and desirable. It will be obvious also that the clutchdevices 24 may be similarly shif ed as has hereinbefore been described.

Each central shaft 29 of the platform units 13 is also provided with abrake drum 53 around which takes a suitable brake band 54, one end ofwhich is free and the other end of which is fixed in the usual manner. Abrake rod 55 is secured to the free end of the brake band so that whenthe said rod is moved longitudinally it will serve to apply the brakeband to the drum to effect a braking action on the central shaft 29 orto release such action, according to the direction in which that rod ismoved.

A dove tail grooved head 56 is secured to one end of each platform 13 inthe manner indicated in Figures 3, 6 and 7 the dove tail groove thereofbeing indicated at 57. The head 56 is spring held as at 58 to the brakerelease effecting or normal position and is secured to the extended endof the brake rod 55 so that when the said head is pulled longitudinallyit will efiect a braking action and when released will be springreturned to its normal position to release such braking action.

A head mover 59 having a dove tail portion adapted to slide intoengagement with the dove tail groove of the head 56, as a particularplatform 13 moves into register With a slotted yard trackway, isprovided. The mover 59 is connected to the actuator lever 60, said leverbeing pivoted and the said mover being slidably mounted so that when thesaid lever 60 is mechanically actuated through the actuator rodconnection 61 and bell crank devices 62 and the con trol lever 83mounted in the remote tower 51, the said mover will effect longitudinalmovement of the head 56 with which it is in engagement and apply brakingaction as above indicated.

Each yard trackway may be provided with a safety stop dog 63 pivoted asat 64 in cooperative position therewith at each side of the crossconveyor and which is so pivotally mounted as to adapt the same forbeing hand thrown to the operative condition for acting as a safetydevice for stopping a car which, by carelessness of an operator, mightbe allowed to run off that side of the cross conveyor opposite itsdirection of movement. The use of such device is, of course, optionalonly and is merely a safe-guard in a disclosure where it is unnecessaryif the operator of the apparatus is alert.

Each yard trackway 110 may also be equipped with a centrally disposedhook equipped chain 65 similar in construction to those with which eachplatform is equipped and which is driven and controlled as at 66 fromthe common actuator shaft 41. The purpose of this equipment is to engagea portion of the car which is thrown off the cross conveyor onto theselected yard trackway and to retard and control the speed of movementof that car along that trackway according to the speed of rotation ofthe said shaft 41.

It will be understood, of course. that the common actuator shaft 41 maybe power driven in any manner suitable according to the particularinstallation or yard equipment as, for example. by equipping the samewith a large sprocket 67 through which and the chain connection with thesmall sprocket 68 rotation may be imparted from the driven shaft 69having suit-able bear- .ing as at 70 along one wall of the pit 11.

In operation, assuming that it is desired to move car A from track 1over into position for facilitating its connection with a train beingmade up on track 6, the operator in the tower 51 would effect aclutching in to start lateral movement of the cross conveyor through theconnections 222325 so as to bring the nearest one of the platform units13 into position for having the trackway 14 thereof register with thesaid tracle way 1 of the yard when the car A, after being uncoupled fromits train, would be given a suitable impulse for effecting a movement ofthe same onto the said trackway. As the car rolls onto the trackway 14:the axle thereof or some other suitable abutment, will come intoengagement with one of the hook devices of the chain 83 at the advanceend of the platform and thus cause the chain to move, causing rotation,of course, of the central cross shaft 29 of the platform. At a suitabletime, governed by observation from the tower room 51, the operator wouldeffect actuation, through the control connections (31 and 62, of thebrake actuating devices 59 and 56 for applying a braking action to thedrum 5-3; and thus ef fectively retarding and stopping movement of thecar at the proper time for perfectly positioning the same on the saidplatform 13.

This being: accomplished, the operator would again set the conveyor intomotion and cause the same to continue across the pit 11 until thetrackway 14, carrying the car A, would come into re, "stcr with trackway6, when the operator would shift the clutch connector 47 in a manner forclutch- :ing into rotative relation with the actuator shaft 41, that oneof the ,QQAI'S 7;?) which meshes with the direct drive 37, thus causingthe hook devices of the chain 33 to engage with the axle of the car andimpart movement thereto for removing the car from the platform on to theregistering trackway 6. After the removal of the car has been effected,the clutch devices will again be moved to the neutral position and suchfurther operations continued as may be necessary to transfer other cars.

It will be understood, of course, that by shifting the clutch devices41:4: in one direction, movement will be transmitted for forcing the caroff one end of a particular con veyor platform 13 while movement ofthose clutch devices in the opposite direction will cause movement ofthe reversing gear connections and effect movement of the car off theopposite end of the said platform according to the needs incident to themanner of making up the particular trains. It will also be understoodthat as a car axle passes over the hooks 43 of the chain other than thatwhich is effecting movement of that car those hooks will collapse topermit such movement of the car and then again spring up to theirnormally projected. position.

It will also be understood that as a car is thrown off a trackway 14 bya platform unit 13 and onto the selected one of the yard trackways anaxle thereof will come into engagement with one of the hooks of thecontroller chain with which that trackway is equipped and the speed ofmovement of that car along that trackway retarded according to the speedof rotation of the common actuator shaft il. By this equip ment it willbe impossible for the car to pick up added momentum as it proceeds alongthe trackway and thus eliminate the possibilities of accidents due tocollision and such as are common in the present practice of freeshuntingaction of the cars by means of impetus imparted thereto by abacking train or the assistance of a yard hump.

In the foregoing description, I have disclosed an apparatus by the useof which it is possible to transfer cars from one trackway laterallyacross a conveyor to a selected trackway, upon which a train is beingmade up in a simple and elfective manner and in which a great saving oftime and labor is effected and with the additional feature of certainsafety devices which practically eliminate all possibilities of fatalaccidents.

lVhile I have described the means for braking the movement of a car ontoa platform unit 13 from the operators compartment 51, it should beunderstood, of course, that this braking action may be performed by asimple lever device at the side of the track by an attendant who may beaccompanying the car being transferred. Such an arrangement isdiagrammatically indicated in Figure 6. It will also be understood thatwhile I have indicated the braking device 5% as actuated from thedevices 56, 59, etc., located at one end of the platform the last statedactuating, device may be duplicated, if desired, at the other end of theplatform so as to be operable from both ends.

It should also be understood that the transmission gears or sprocketsmounted on the common actuator shaft, and from which power istransmitted to the chains 65, may be equipped with suitable clutchdevices which may be controlled similarly to those 45 before describedand which will serve to throw a desired chain 65 out of active operationand permit it to run freely when desired as, for example, when themade-up train is to be drawn off and it is desired to draw it off at aspeed greater than the chain (35 would ordinarily permit.

As a further safety means, I provide a pivoted lever 71 in position forbeing engaged by a car on any platform 13 which, by carelessness of anoperator, might be permitted to remain thereon and be carried beyond thelast track at the side of the yard. That lever may have a crankextension 72 for normally closing an energized circuit 73 connected withwhatever source of power is used to operate the main drive shaft section25. As the car strikes the lever 71 it will. of course, open or breakthe circuit 73 and stop movement of the conveyor, thereby preventing thepossible damage of carrying the car over the end of the conveyor.

Also, if desired, a single track of the yard equipment may be providewith a contact device 74 connected at 7 5 with a signal de- Vice 7 6mounted in the observation room 51, the said signal being also connectedas at 7 6 with an energized circuit on the cross conveyor. Each set oftrackways 1 1 of the conveyor may be equipped with a contact device 77connected with the energized circuit so that when the contacts 77 and 74engage, the signal 76, light or any type of audible signal, will beactuated. The operator may thus know when the tracks 14 of the conveyorplatforms and those 1-10 of the yard are in perfect register so that hecan stop the conveyor at the proper time.

I also wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited tothe specific structural details I have disclosed as the inventioncomprehends such modifications of arrangements and parts as may benecessary, according to the particular yard adaptation necessary, andwhich come within the scope of the appended claims.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought the novel details of construction,manner of operation and advantages of my invention will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyormovable laterally across a plurality of trackways, said conveyorincluding platform units each having a trackway thereon for receiving acar and transferring it to a selected one of the plurality of trackways,means for retarding movement of a car onto a platform unit, and meansfor imparting throw-off movement to the cars to move them onto theirselected tracks.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having av trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, means for retardingmovement of a car onto a platform unit, means for imparting throw-offmovement to the cars to move them onto their selected tracks, and meansfor controlling the conveyor movement, the retarding means, and themovement imparting means from a remote control room.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, means carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto, and meanspositioned adjacent each trackway and with which the platform carriedretarding means moves into register and which is adapted to be actuatedfor efiecting the retarding action.

4;. In apparatus of the class described,- a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it ofi therefrom, and means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor includ ing platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including chains with car engaging hooks thereon.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it off therefrom, and meanscontrollable from a remote control room and operable for causing thesaid devices to function in a desired one of two directions.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor plat form for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimpartment movement to said car to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including chains with car engaging hooks thereon, the saidhooks being so mounted as to provide fixed abutments when engaged in onedirection and for collapsing when engaged in the opposite direction.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackw-ay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including a pair of oppositely operable chains having carengaging hooks thereon, and means controllable from a remote controlroom and operable for causing one only of the chains to operate.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trac-kways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackWay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said ear to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote con trol room, thesaid devices including a pair of oppositely operable chains having carengaging hooks thereon, means controllable from a remote control roomand operable for causing one only of the chains to operate, the saidhooks being so mounted as to provide fixed abutments when engaged in onedirection and for collapsing when engaged in the opposite direction.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackWay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of track- Ways, devices carried byeach conveyor plat- .form for retarding movement of a car thereonto andfor imparting movement to said car to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including a pair of oppositely operable chains having carengaging hooks thereon, means controllable from a remote control roomand operable for causing one only of the chains to operate, and meansfor retarding movement of a car engaged chain to brake the movement ofthe car onto the conveyor platform.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconveyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it oif therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including a pair of oppositely operable chains having carenhooks thereon, means controllable from a remote control room andoperable for causing one only of the chains to operate, means carried byeach conveyor platform for retarding movement of a car engaged chain tobrake the movement of said platform, and means positioned adjacent eachtrackway and With Which the platform carried retarding means moves intoregister and Which is adapted to be actuated for effecting the retardingaction.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trac-kWay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto selected one of the plurality of track- Ways, and means for retardingand controlling movement of the transferred cars along the trackways toWhich they have been transferred.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackvvays, and a speed controlshaft and car engaging hook carrying chains for retarding andcontrolling movement of the transferred cars along the trackways towhich they have been transferred.

1%. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackWay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, a speed control shaftand car engaging hook carrying means for retarding and controllingmovement of the transferred cars along the trackways to which they havebeen transferred, the said hooks being so mounted as to provide fixedabutments when engaged in one direction and for collapsing when engagedin the opposite direction.

15. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of track- Ways, means for retardingmovement of a car onto a platform unit, means for imparting throw-offmovement to the cars to move them into their selected tracks, and meansfor retarding and controlling movement of the transferred cars along thetrackWays to which they have been transferred.

16. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackvvays, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackvvay thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, devices carried by eachconr eyor platform for retarding movement of a car thereonto and forimparting movement to said car to move it off therefrom, means forcontrolling operation of said devices from a remote control room, thesaid devices including a pair of oppositely operable chains having carengaging hooks thereon, means controllable from a remote control roomand operable for causing one only of the chains to operate, meanscarried by each conveyor platform for retarding movement of a carengaged chain to brake the movement of said platform, and similarlyremotely controlled means positioned adjacent each trackway and withwhich the platform carried retarding means moves into register and whichis adapted to be actuated for effecting the retarding action.

17. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackwa 1 thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, means for retardingmovement of a car onto a platform unit, means for imparting throwoffmovement to the cars to move them onto their selected tracks, means forcontrolling the conveyor movement, the retarding means, and the movementimparting means from a remote control room, and a safety device mountedin position for being engaged by a car on a platform unit and associatedwith the power transmission devices for moving the conveyor, said devicebeing adapted to be engaged by such a car as is carried beyond the lasttrackway of the plurality of trackways.

18. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, means for retardingmovement of a car onto a platform unit, means for imparting throw-offmovement to the cars to move them onto their selected tracks, means forcontrolling the conveyor movement, the retarding means, and the movementimparting means from a remote control room, and means whereby a signalin the remote control room will be actuated when the track ways of theplatform units and the plurality of trackways are brought into register.

19. In apparatus of the class described, a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plu rality of trackways, said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways, means for retardingmovement of a car onto a platform unit, means for imparting throw-offmovement to the cars to move them onto their selected tracks, means forcontrolling the conveyor movement, the retarding means, and the movementimparting means from a remote control room, means whereby a signal inthe remote control room will be actuated when the trackways of theplatform units and the plurality of trackways are brought into register,said means including a single contact on one of the plurality oftrackways, a contact on each plat form unit trackway, an energizedcircuit, a signal in the control room and connected with that circuit sothat when the single contact is engaged by one of the platform trackwaycontacts the signal will be actuated.

20. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; a stubshaft and sprocket adjacent each end of each platform unit; oppositelyoperable car engaging chains taking over each central and an endsprocket; a constantly moving common actuator shaft extending across allof the trackways beneath the conveyor; and devices upon the actuatorshaft as intervals cooperative with the positions of the plurality oftrackways, said devices being adapted to engage the gear devices of theplatform units to effect movement of the chains of those units for thepurposes specified.

21. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a. pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; a stubshaft and sprocket adjacent each end of each platform unit; oppositelyoperable car engaging chains taking over each central and an endsarocket; a constantly moving common actuator shaft extending across allof the trackways beneath the conveyor; and devices upon the actuatorshaft at intervals cooperative with the positions of the plurality oftrackways, said devices being adapted to engage the gear devices of theplatform units to effect movement of the chains of those units, andmeans for controlling the functioning of the devices on the actuatorshaft from a remote control room.

22. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; a stubshaft and sprocket adjacent each end of each platform unit; oppositelyoperable car engaging chains taking over each central and an endsprocket; a constant moving common actuator shaft extending across allof the trackways beneath the conveyor; devices upon the actuator shaftat intervals cooperative with the positions of the plurality oftrackways, said devices being adapted to engage the gear devices of theplatform units to effect movement of the chains of those units, meansfor controlling the functioning of the devices on the actuator shaftfrom a remote control room in a manner for causing one only of thechains to be moved.

23. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the pluralityof trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; a stubshaft and sprocket adjacent each end of each platform unit; oppositelyoperable car engaging chains taking over each central and an endsprocket; a constantly moving common actuator shaft extending across allof the trackways beneath the conveyor; a plurality of sets of a paireach of loose driver gears mounted upon the common actuator shaft atintervals according to the positions of the plurality of trackways andinto register with which the gears of the said central platform unitsshafts will be moved as the trackways of those units register with saidplurality of trackways; and means operable from a remote control roomfor causing a selected one of the loose gears to rotate with theactuator shaft for the purposes specified.

2%. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of trackways; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; a stubshaft and sprocket adjacent each end of each plat-form unit; oppositelyoperable car engaging chains taking over each central and an endsprocket; a constantly moving common actuator shaft extending across allof the trackways beneath the conveyor, a plurality of sets of a paireach of loose driver gears mounted upon the common actuator shaft atintervals according to the positions of the plurality of trackways andinto re 'ister with which the gears of the said central platform unitsshafts will be moved as the trackways of those units register with saidplurality of trackways; and alternately operating clutch devicescontrollable from a remote control room for engaging a selected one ofthe loose gears to cause a particular chain to be operated or moved to aneutral position for permitting both loose gears of a set to idle forthe purposes specified.

25. In apparatus of the class described; a conveyor movable laterallyacross a plurality of traclm'ays; said conveyor including platform unitseach having a trackway thereon for receiving a car and transferring itto a selected one of the plurality of trackways; a central shaft carriedby each platform unit and having a pair of sprockets, a direct drivegear device and a reverse drive gear device connected therewith; and abrake drum having a brake band associated therewith, nfeans foractuating the brake hand to brake the action of said central shaft whendesired, and devices upon the actuator shaft at intervals cooperativewith the positions of the plurality of trackways, said devices beingadapted to engage the gear devices of the platform units to effectmovement of the chains of those units for the purposes specifled.

GEORGE F. SOCKMAN.

